Rear View Mirror: 1963 Chevy Corvette Sting Ray Coupe

With the hindsight of history, we can see that the ’63 Sting Ray split window coupe was destined to be a classic. But, when it was new, nobody knew. The product of stylist Bill Mitchell, the ’63 Sting Ray was shorter, lower and sleeker than past Corvettes. A sharply creased beltline defined the lines of the car, neatly wrapping around its entirety. The knife-edge front introduced hideaway headlights – a signature styling theme in Corvettes for 40 years hence.

The tail end kept the dual light, ducktail look previewed in 1961. The rear view was especially interesting in the new, hardtop coupe, which took its place alongside the roadster in the Corvette lineup for the first time in ‘63. Mitchell’s design called for two rear windows, divided by a center strip. This would allow an uninterrupted line to flow from north to south along the top, creating a stylistic spine for the car. The result was the collector-cherished “split window coupe”, all the more desirable because it lasted for just one year.

With the updated looks came upgraded mechanics. Most notable was the transition to an independent rear suspension. This chassis sophistication was distinctive for the day, and consistent with the race-oriented philosophy of Corvette Chief Engineer Zora Arkus-Duntov. A parade of performance motors would pass under the bonnets of Corvettes during this era. It started in ’63 with a quartet of 327 small block V-8’s, with horsepower ratings that ranged from 250 (base) – 360 (fuelie).

While many praised the new front end look of the second generation Corvette, the rear view of the C2 proved controversial. The designer had insisted on the two piece rear window for stylistic consistency. Critics (and coupe owners) complained that it made Corvette’s blind spots bigger. The grumblings over reduced, rear visibility prompted Chevy to replace the split, rear glass with a one piece backlight in 1964, and so it stayed for the remainder of the second generation.

The combination of ’63-only styling and first year, second generation status has since earned the sleekly styled split window coupe blue chip status, amongst ‘60’s collectibles.